We’ve just finished two weeks of school holidays and the kids enjoyed watching a few new movies over the break. Whenever we have a ‘movie night’ there is always plenty of popcorn on board, but this time we were inspired to try something different after watching Julie Goodwin’s new cooking show. And that something different was caramel popcorn, a dangerous thing indeed.
Why is it dangerous? Well, I must clarify that it is only dangerous for me, not the kids. I could eat bowls of this stuff without even thinking. I love it. The source of this affection is a result of my mother’s addiction to Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs while I was growing up. These little beautiful ‘bombs’ were a form of caramel popcorn to die for. The few times my Mum let me have the scraps at the bottom of the pack it was heavenly. So when I was old enough, and had my own money one of the first things I purchased was my own bag of Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs to devour all by myself.
Of course, I had to save some of this caramel popcorn for Mum so she could relive those wonderful moments too.
Caramel Popcorn
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup popping corn
125g butter
¾ cup caster sugar
2 tablespoons treacle
Method
Heat the oil in the bottom of a large saucepan. Once hot enough, add the popping corn and shake the pan gently to disperse the corn. Cover with lid and leave on the heat. Agitate the pan a few times until popping begins. Once the popping has slowed remove from heat and set aside.
To make the caramel sauce, combine the butter, sugar and treacle in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes without stirring.
Put the popcorn into a large bowl and then pour over the caramel. Toss until popcorn and sauce are well combined then spread onto a lined baking tray.
Once cooled, break it up into pieces and serve. Leftovers (if there are any) can be stored in an airtight container for a few days.
Serves 4
Recipe adapted from Home Cooked! with Julie Goodwin
The Klutzy Cook Notes
- Golden syrup can be used instead of treacle.
- 1 cup of salted nuts or peanuts can be added to the popcorn before pouring on the sauce for a nutty variation.
- Popcorn can be prepared in an air popper if preferred.
Any other flavours of popcorn I should know about? Please let me know below.
